About tvaruzky

Olomoucke tvaruzky is a mature cheese made of skim (non-fat) milk. It has a completely unique spicy flavour, a typical smell, surface with a golden yellow cover and a sticky semi-soft to soft consistency with a noticeably lighter core. It usually comes in the form of circles, rings, sticks or irregular pieces. Olomoucke tvaruzky is a table cheese. It has a typical and unmistakable taste and smell caused by the (proteolytic) degradation of cheese proteins during the maturing process. Thanks to its nutritional values – low energy value (i.e. low fat content) and full-value proteins and calcium, Olomoucke tvaruzky is ranked among the top cheeses.

No genetically modified ingredients are used in the production of Olomoucke tvaruzky. The cheese is made without adding rennet, colourings, flavourings and stabilizers. It contains an allergen – quark made from pasteurized cow milk. It does not contain substances that cause celiac disease and therefore is suitable for a gluten-free diet.

What is it made of

Olomoucke tvaruzky cheese is made from fat-free quark and salt with the addition of acidity regulators E500 (sodium bicarbonate), E170 (calcium carbonate) and dairy culture.

Quality

As follows from characteristics of the Olomouc curd cheese, it is a ripened soft cheese, process of production of which uses no stabilizers and no heat treatment. On the other hand, these advantages cause its higher susceptibility to certain defects, both microbiological (e.g. mould), and mechanical (e.g. shape changes during ripening).

Which phenomena are not a hindrance (do not impair human health)

Orange to brownish discolouration of surface, sometimes with precipitated beads – it is not a mold, but a manifestation of higher activity is due to Brevibacterium linens – completely harmless.

White mould on the surface – the so-called Lactic mould (Oospora lactis, Geotrichum candidum) – harmless completely as well.

Shape deformations – due to uneven ripening ability of the curd or due to failure to observe the temperature regime in the points of sale, the Olomouc curd cheese can ripen unevenly, and especially at a higher stage of maturity it may have a softer consistency, which then causes change in cheese shape (e.g. settlement). This defect, if not accompanied by releasing liquid, is not harmless anyhow and proves good ripening of the Olomouc curd cheese.

What phenomena are unacceptable

Mould on the surface visible to the naked eye – black, green, gray, etc.

Very soft consistency – associated with release of liquid.

Becomes curdle – bitter taste unfortunately cannot be detected in the packaged product. Its occurrence is not dangerous for human health, but this defect is inadmissible in the Olomouc curd cheese.

Nutritional values

Energy value or nutrient name	Reference uptake value (in adults)		Values per 100 g of the product
			Nutritional value		Percentage of determined reference uptake values
Energy	8400	kJ	541	kJ	6,4 %
	2000	kcal	127	kcal
Fat	70	g	< 0,5	g	< 0,7 %
of which Saturated fatty acids	20	g	0,2	g	1,0 %
Carbohydrates	260	g	2,6	g	1,0 %
of which Sugars	90	g	2,6	g	2,9 %
Protein	50	g	28	g	56,0 %
Salt	6	g	5	g	83,3 %
Calcium	800	mg	1970	mg	246,3 %

The recommended daily amount of energy varies depending on age, weight, height, sex and the level of physical activity.

Organoleptic Properties

Smell	Clean, lightly spicy, typical for this type of cheese. The smell becomes more distinctive and characteristic during the maturation process.
Appearance and colour of the surface	Regular shape, closed smooth or slightly uneven surface with an adequate layer of cover, share deformation during storage is not a problem.
	Uniform cheesy golden yellow to orange colour. The colour becomes more intense as the cheese matures. Should the cheese turn an orange-brown colour, this is not a problem.
	Light touch of white mould Geotrichum candidum is not a problem.
Degree of maturity	In symmetric layers from the surface to the core. The colouring of layers ranges from a cheesy golden yellow to an orange or white quark. The thickness of layers changes as the cheese matures. From the beginning, when the date of minimum durability (DMD) is more than three weeks, tvaruzky are harder with an apparent quark core (“young” cheese). In the following period (2 weeks before DMD), the maturation of the cheese slowly progresses with the development of a more distinct cover and taste while the most intensive development and maturation all the way to the core of the cheese happens one week before the DMD.
Consistency	Soft and smooth, sticky and elastic, semi-soft to soft according to the degree of maturation.
Taste	Clean gently spicy, slightly salty, typical for this type of cheese. It becomes spicier during maturation.

Characteristics of cheese maturation

Degree of maturation	Until DMD / date of minimum durability/ marked on the packaging
	4 weeks (28 days)	3 weeks (21 days)	2 weeks (14 days)	1 week (7 days)
Shape	no deformation	no deformation	slightly deformed	medium deformed
Surface colour	golden yellow	golden yellow	golden yellow to orange yellow	orange-yellow to brown-orange
Cross section	yellowish ripe layer with a distinctive white quark core	yellowish ripe layer with a visible quark core	golden-yellowish ripe layer with a yellowish core	golden-yellow colour across the entire cross section, surface of brown-orange colour
Elasticity by touch	firm	slightly firm	elastic	elastic to soft
Taste	quark-like	slightly characteristic	medium characteristic to spicy	characteristic, spicy
Smell	quark-like, slightly characteristic	slightly characteristic, quark-like	medium characteristic	characteristic